Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-06-21

PoRTLAND, Oregon. .Inne q Il,

sinB, OF course, ducks and
nsnes' and the acclimatized Oregoni.
an The latter creature must be !.
very rare animal, as / have failed 10
come IN contact with anyone who was
satished with the unusual freaks Of
'ne Clerk OF the Weather during the
spring Of this year. A constant down
poar' necessItatlng the daily use Of
umbrella and rubbers, caused no lit
Tie dlsmay to your correspondent,
who anxiously looked around on the
troubled waters for second ark built
on nineteenth century principles.
with the appearance of this craft |
secretly cherished the hope that the
web-footed Oregonian would be seen
vending his way with other waddlers
and "waders" towards the inviting.
open door; but was doomed to DIS
appointment. The Oregonian, un-
Ike the raven of old, evidently found
rest for the sole of his foot without
seeking refuge in any floating me-
nagerie, since, generally speaking,
demand and emergency create sup.
ply and ingenuity. l was led to the
conclusion, therefore, that the term
"Web-foot," as applied to this State,
Is by no means a misnomer. 1t also
caused me to reflect on the sickness
OF Mr.. Noah in sending out a raven
and dove instead of duck; but then.
maybe, the ducks were down in the
hold having a swim. Now that the
flood-gates from heaven are shut,
those underneath are opened, and the
Willamette has risen twenty three
feet above low water mark, already
filling the cellars of houses as far back
as Fifth Street. The river has been
rising gradually at the rate of from
seventeen to twenty-three inches in
twenty-four hours; but for the last
two days has been at standstill. 1t
will again rise gradually, it is sup
posed by residents, until the front
streets are submerged several feet
Work in the stores will be continued
on temporarily constructed floors, the
goods being raised out of reach OF
the water. Your correspondent has
not been informed how locomo.ion in
the streets is to be effected, but he
opines that, when the city takes OF
the Venetian aspect, it will be duly
supplied with gondolas. We shall
then only lack the 'Bridge of Signs
to complete the picture.
To newcomer, Portland is liable
to prove malarious; and one cal
scarcely wonder at it when he remem
bers that hidden, stagnant pools ar
slowly evaporated by the excessive
heat following the fall of the river
and that injurious gases are evolves
from decaying matter. To hav
made Portland healthy, in its busl
ness portion, would have required
ten or twelve feet raise in its site
but first corners had little care fo
sanitary principles, and real estat
was real estate whether it included
cesspool or boneyard. l happene
to run across one of the old-timers {
Portland, the other day, who claim
to have laid the first sidewalk, or pc
ton of it, in the city. As he laid h
boards down in the black, liquid mu,
that was splashed far and near by tt
few passing wagons, two hoosie
passing by remarked on the ''foolisl
ness of laying down such fine lumb'
in a place like that" The two no
siers seoffed at the thought of an.
thing growing on such uninviting so
but, Notwithstanding, that same slu
and mud was destined to become Il
streets of rich, prosperous, and pc
j., ulous city whose financial influence
felt to-day on Wall street. tic
! shortslghted we poor mortals ar
4 Strange to say, the two leading hott
} of the city-the St. Charles and t
Esmond-are situated on Front :
Immediately overlooking the rive
E and though, when their site was Oh
), sen. the location was desirable, 1t
only a matter of time when they W
: be superseded by Others more reno
from the waters edge; the view
e the river being now deprived of
t former attractions by the numero
e wharves and wholesale stores lini
> its banks, as well as by disagreed
; odors that follow the subsiding
h biqh water. Willard, evidently, h
n this in mind when he chose the 5
of his projected hotel. which, if e'